Acceptance
by tsubaki410
Summary: Post-"Things Change". When trouble from her past threatens to bring Terra's new life crashing down, she is forced to accept who she truly is. Part 1 of the "Return" duology.


**Disclaimer:** _Teen Titans_ and all related characters and elements are the property of their respective owners. I own nothing.

**Acceptance**

Tara Markov, known to her friends as Terra, was just like any other high school girl. Except of course, for the fact that she was geokinetic. During her time as a member of the heroic Teen Titans, Terra had been able to wield her earthly namesake as a deadly weapon, riding on floating mounds of soil and hurling boulders to scatter her foes like bowling pins. Unfortunately, Terra was unable to completely control her abilities, and an enemy of the Titans, a ruthless madman named Slade, had used this weakness to trick Terra into betraying her friends in exchange for his help. After a long back-and-forth struggle, both physically and emotionally, Terra's inner goodness won out, and she turned on her former mentor, flinging him down the shaft of a volcano. Sadly, this victory had come at a great cost. To prevent the volcano from erupting and destroying the city, Terra had evacuated her fellow Titans, then tapped into the deepest reserves of her power, shutting down the volcano…and turning herself to stone. Recently, however, through some means she herself didn't really understand, Terra had become flesh and blood once more. But all that was in the past. Now, Terra was just an ordinary girl. An ordinary girl who was about to be late for geometry.

_Oh, great_, she thought as she rushed down the deserted hallway toward her classroom, _this is what I get for oversleeping._ She narrowly dodged a locker door someone had carelessly left open, muttering darkly. Then, spotting her classroom straight ahead, she grinned in triumph. _Almost there_, she told herself, _almost- _

RRRIIINNNGG! The earsplitting drone of the late bell cut through Terra's thoughts, and she skidded the rest of the way to the room, nearly falling down. Luckily, she caught herself and stood in the doorway, panting. Noticing the strange looks she was getting, she sheepishly walked to her desk and sat down. Ms. Harris, the teacher, glanced briefly in her direction before making a quick scribble on her clipboard.

"Miss Markov," she said in the reedy, droning voice that always made Terra's teeth ache, "this is the third time this semester that you have been late to class." She arched one long, thin eyebrow and stared at the girl down her equally long and thin nose. "I assume that you know what that means?"

"Yes ma'am," Terra sighed. _Detention._

"Good. Report back to this room after the final bell."

"Yes, ma'am," she said again, inwardly screaming with frustration. _Terrific_, she fumed, _just wonderful. Of all the days I could've landed in detention, it HAD to happen on the day I have a date with Jason._ Her frustration briefly waned as she thought of Jason Todd, the boy she had recently started going out with. Jason was new to Murakami High, just like her, but was already making a name for himself on the school track team. A smile twitched at the corners of Terra's mouth as she pictured his face, the soft blue eyes that shimmered like twin pools, so deep she felt she might lose herself in them if she looked long enough, the goofy, casual grin, the tousled mop of black hair that refused to cooperate no matter how many hours were spent attempting to comb it…

Between thinking about Jason and fretting about how she was going to explain the sudden roadblock in their plans for the afternoon, the rest of Terra's day passed in a blur. Finally, after the end-of-school bell rang, she trudged back to Ms. Harris' room and cautiously poked her head inside, half expecting the short-tempered, no-nonsense educator to begin chewing her out before she had even gotten a chance to sit down. However, much to her surprise, her least favorite teacher was nowhere to be found.

"That's weird," Terra murmured, "I wonder where she went?" Pushing her sudden unease into a far corner of her mind, she sat down and pulled a pencil and a sketch pad from her bag. Biting her lip in concentration, she carefully placed the writing instrument's graphite point to the page and thought about what she would draw. The answer came to her almost immediately. _Jason and me_, she decided, _sitting together on a park bench._ Taking a deep breath, she relaxed and let her imagination guide her hand, picturing the scene in her mind's eye: _the two of them watching the clouds shift in the breeze, listening to the birds singing and cheeping to each other as they flew over the trees and grass, one of Jason's arms slowly wrapping around Terra's shoulders…_

Terra was so engrossed in her daydreams that she initially didn't notice the odd noises coming from outside. Then, her ears picked up a dull mechanical hum, like a muffled version of a boat motor. This was followed by what sounded like people screaming, and what could only have been described as ray gun blasts from an old science fiction movie. Now fully alert, and slightly freaked, Terra stood up and walked over to the window.

_What the heck is going on?_ She wondered, fiddling with the stubborn blinds. _Why-_

_BOOOOMMM!_

With a sound like an artillery gun, a massive shockwave blasted Terra off her feet and smashed her into the opposite wall. Dazed, she picked herself up off the floor, wiped away the small trickle of blood that had oozed from a slight gash across her cheek, and looked at the place where she had just been standing. It was now a gaping hole. Chunks of charred plaster and insulation crumbled from the edges of the crater, and smoking rubble was strewn everywhere. Suddenly, a figure stepped through the smoke and into what was left of the room. Terra looked up-and screamed. The newcomer was clad in black, military-style boots, a black bodysuit, and grey gloves. A metal collar, shoulder plates, and forearm guards covered his arms and neck, and upon his face was a smooth mask, one side black and completely blank, the other side deep orange with a single, piercing eye that stared evilly at the frightened girl. It was none other than her old mentor, Slade. With slow, confident strides, the villain made his way over to the high schooler, who was now scooting in the opposite direction as fast as she could. Before she could reach the door, however, Terra felt herself being gripped in Slade's viselike hands and hauled to her feet. Jerking her head away, Terra refused to look in the madman's direction until one of his hands firmly grasped her by the chin and slowly turned her face back toward his own.

"Hello, little girl," he said, his voice a malevolent whisper, like the hiss of a snake before it struck, "It's been much too long."

Meanwhile, at the other end of the city, a typical day in Titans' Tower was unfolding: Beast Boy and Cyborg were engaged in a fierce Super Ninja Fury match on the GameStation while Robin stood behind the couch, ready and waiting to take on the winner; Raven was reading an old book written in runes that none of the others could understand; and Starfire was in the kitchen, testing out new recipes she had come up with by feeding small samples to Silkie, the worm being the only one willing to try her cooking.

"Perhaps you will enjoy this one as well, my little _bumgorf_?" she cooed, holding out a spoonful of multicolored goop, "It has _zorka_ berries, your favorites!" The larva eagerly sucked up the spoon's contents and squealed happily. Starfire grinned. "You certainly do love your _k'norfka_'s cooking, don't you, small one?" She gently tickled her pet's belly, making him wriggle with delight. At that moment, an alarm began to blare.

A-oo-ga! A-oo-ga!

Quickly, the entire team ran over to the main computer. Robin punched in a code sequence, and a map of the city appeared. A red dot pulsed in perfect synchronization with the still-wailing alarm, indicating the location of the problem. Beast Boy's eyes widened as he read the words on the screen: _Murakami High School_.

_This is bad_, he thought, _Terra's in trouble!_ Sensing his emerald-skinned comrade's distress, Robin placed a reassuring hand on the changeling's shoulder.

"Don't worry, BB. She'll be alright. Now…TITANS, GO!"

Five minutes later, the T-Car screeched to a halt in front of the fiery mess that had been Murakami High, and the five heroes clamored out.

"Spread out and find Terra," Robin ordered, "We find her, we find whoever's behind this. I'd wager just about anything it's Slade." His teammates nodded, then headed off in multiple directions to begin searching.

Meanwhile, in the remains of Ms. Harris' room, Slade was busy explaining his plans to his—literally—captive audience of one.

"And so," he concluded, "I'm offering you a choice, Terra. Either you agree to become my apprentice once again, or I will destroy this school and the life you've worked so _very_ hard to build." His eye narrowed evilly. "So what do you say? Yes…or no?" Terra closed her eyes, took a deep breath, opened her eyes again, and spoke a single word:

"_Duck_."

A look of puzzlement flickered across the villain's mask, just before a green-furred, four hundred-and-fifty pound mountain gorilla crashed into him, sending him sprawling into a pile of overturned desks and chairs. Rushing over to the now-human Beast Boy, Terra flung her arms around her old friend's neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Just couldn't leave me alone, could you?" she murmured sarcastically, tears of relief staining the green-skinned youth's shirt. Beast Boy wrapped his arms around the blonde's back, overwhelmed with joy at finding her unharmed.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Terra!" he whispered, moving his hands down to grip hers and turning towards the hole in the wall. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

"No," Terra said, pulling away, "It's my fault we're in this mess, so I have fix it." A noise behind them made the two teens wheel around, their eyes widening as Slade slowly climbed to his feet and stepped toward them.

"Call the others," Terra instructed, her hands and eyes glowing yellow, "I'll hold him off until they get here." Beast Boy nodded, flipping open his communicator.

Across campus, Robin was busy carving his way through a seemingly endless stream of robot commandos when his communicator buzzed.

"Beast Boy calling everybody!" the shape-shifter's voice rang out over the audio channel, "I've found Terra. She's keeping Slade busy for the moment, but we're going to need backup pretty soon. I'm activating my locator. Get here as soon as you can! Beast Boy out." Sweeping aside one last cluster of robots with his bo staff, Robin activated the device's tracking feature. A map of the school grounds appeared, with a flashing white dot indicating his teammate's position.

"Hang on, Beast Boy," he muttered grimly as he ran in the indicated direction.

With a mighty cry, Terra hurled an enormous chunk of rock at Slade. The psychopath easily dodged the missile, then sprang forward, aiming a kick at his former protégé's head. Terra crossed her arms protectively in front of her face, but the force of the blow still sent her reeling. Snarling with rage, Beast Boy transformed into a tiger and leapt at Slade's back, yelping as the masked man spun around and delivered a vicious chop to his throat. Eyes watering, the changeling struggled to stand as his enemy approached, only to fall back down in shock as a blast of bright green energy sailed over his head and caught Slade square in the chest, knocking him to his knees. Turning his head, Beast Boy grinned as he spotted his teammates standing amidst the rubble. Robin had his staff in one hand and a birdarang in the other. Cyborg was pointing his sonic cannon directly at Slade's kneeling form. Raven and Starfire floated above their friends' heads, eyes glowing, starbolts and dark energy at the ready.

"TITANS, GO!" Robin bellowed, charging at his old nemesis. The rest of the team raced in behind him, bombarding their adversary with energy blasts, rocks, desks, and whatever else they had. Soon, the madman was reduced to a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Now then, it looks like there's only one thing left to do," Robin said, "Terra, would you do the honors?"

"With pleasure," the geomancer replied, stepping over to her ex-mentor and clasping her hands around his mask. With a sharp tug, she yanked the covering away, revealing a blank video screen. After a second, the monitor crackled to life, revealing Slade's masked face.

"Come now, children," he whispered tauntingly, "you didn't really think I would make it so easy, did you?" With that, the connection fizzled out and the screen went dead.

For a few seconds, a cold silence hung in the air. Finally, Terra decided to change the mood.

"Come on, guys!" she chirped, "Let's get going! I want to introduce you to my classmates!" Spinning on her heel, the earth manipulator raced out of the room, her old friends following close behind.

After some slightly awkward introductions—particularly between Beast Boy and Jason—the Titans pulled their former teammate aside for a private discussion.

"Alright, Terra," Robin said slowly, "Now that you're back on the grid, I think it's time we got some answers." Terra nodded, having expected this. "Question one: how did you get unpetrified?"

"I'm not exactly sure, to be honest. All I know is that while I was in the rock, I could still see and hear everything around me. About a year ago, something weird happened. I remember everything becoming jagged and dark, the sky turning blood-red. Then, suddenly, there was a huge flash of white light, and everything went back to normal. Including me." The Titans shared a series of awkward glances, then Raven stepped forward.

"Terra," the sorceress said carefully, "It would be too hard to explain everything that's happened while you've been…_away_…but I can show you, if you'll let me." Terra grinned.

"Go ahead." Raven nodded, gently placing her hands on the other girl's temples.

"Okay, I need you to close your eyes and clear your mind." Terra did as she was bid, and twin blobs of shimmering black energy began to glow around Raven's hands. After a few moments, the energy faded, and the empath lowered her hands and stepped back.

"Wow," Terra murmured, "That flash of light…that was _you_, Raven?" The cloaked girl nodded again. "Well…thanks, I guess." Raven shrugged.

"No problem."

"Alright, next question," Robin said as the blonde returned her attention to him, "Once you got back, why didn't you try to contact us? Why did you feign amnesia and assume a new identity?"

"Bonus question!" Beast Boy interjected, "When I first approached you, you claimed that not only were you a different person, but that 'Terra' wasn't even your name! But now, that's what everybody in the school calls you! Did I miss something?"

"One at a time, guys!" Terra laughed, holding up her hands in mock defense. "First, to put it simply, BB, after you left everybody started asking me whether I was really who you said I was, and if 'Terra' was really my name, so I pretty much had to confess. Secondly, Robin, I didn't try to contact you because, for one thing, I still felt guilty and angry at myself for what had happened last time, and I figured you guys would all feel the same way. Plus, I was afraid that, on the off chance you accepted me back, something bad would happen all over again." She sighed. "Guess I made another mistake." Robin placed a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"You did what you thought was right," he said, "That's all that matters."

"Robin is correct, friend Terra," Starfire chimed in, "Please do not continue to kick yourself because of your past errors."

"Okay, y'all," Cyborg called out, "I think it's my turn to get nosy." Stepping forward, he enquired, "So tell me, Rock Star, how'd you get that funky suit off? I thought it was fused onto your skin."

"I don't really know, Cy," Terra replied with a shrug, "After I was resurrected, somehow the armor's neural interface shut down, allowing me to peel it right off." Grinning brightly, she added, "After I got it off, I snuck into my old room in the Tower, changed into fresh clothes, and chucked the armor into the bay!"

"Well, Terra," Robin said with a chuckle, "I think I speak for all of us when I say…we're proud of you." Terra's eyes grew wide, tears threatening to spill over her lower lids.

"Really?"

"Absolutely," the Titans' leader affirmed, "By standing up to Slade today, you protected not only yourself and us, but also hundreds of innocents. It's that kind of devotion and willingness to sacrifice everything that's truly the mark of a Teen Titan." Reaching into his utility belt, he pulled out a spare communicator. "What do you say, Terra? Are you ready to come home?" Terra gasped.

"Robin, I…" She frowned. "I don't know. A part of me really wants to, but at the same time, I've got a bunch of new friends and responsibilities now. Can I really just give all that up?" She sank to the floor, pressing her back against the wall and wrapping her hands around her knees.

"Terra," Starfire said gently, wrapping an arm around her old comrade's shoulders, "Someone very dear to me once told me to follow my heart. Now, I ask you to do the same. Look inside yourself, and I am certain you will find the right path." Terra smiled at the Tamaranean and nodded. Smiling back, Starfire rose to her feet and motioned for her friends to follow her back into the hall.

"Is she okay?" Jason asked as the heroes returned.

"She's fine," Beast Boy reassured him, "She's just figuring out what direction she wants her life to take."

After a few minutes, Terra stepped into the hall.

"Everyone, follow me to the auditorium," she instructed, turning and striding down the hall, "I've got an announcement to make." The assembled students, teachers and heroes gave a collective shrug and walked after her. Soon, they filed into the rows of seats lining the auditorium as Terra stepped up to the microphone.

"A little while ago, a good friend told me to listen to my heart. And I have." She paused for a few moments to gather her thoughts, then continued, "Right now my heart is telling me that where I'm needed at the moment and where I'll be needed in the near future are two very different places. For the time being, my place is here, at Murakami High School." Turning to face the Titans, she added, "But don't think this means I'm out of your hair for good. On the contrary, once this school year is over, you can expect to hear me knocking on the Tower door." Robin smiled.

"We'll be waiting," he promised. Terra returned the smile, then stepped off the stage amidst a storm of cheers and applause.

A short time later, Cyborg brought the T-Car to a halt on the driveway just outside the Tower. Climbing out of the rear passenger-side seat, Beast Boy thrust his fists skyward in a triumphant manner.

"Man, I can't WAIT for the summer!" Turning to his teammates, he asked, "Do you think Terra will be staying permanently this time?"

"It certainly sounded that way," Raven replied with uncharacteristic cheerfulness. Starfire nodded in agreement.

"Now the only concern I am faced with is counting every _glarfrop_ until our beloved friend is among us once again!" Suddenly she spotted Robin standing at the base of the Tower, not moving. "Robin," she said cautiously, "Is something the matter?" Robin turned slowly around, a piece of paper in his gloved hand. Peering at the message scrawled on the paper, the other Titans let out a collective gasp:

_Hey, kiddies! Sorry I couldn't say this in person. I just wanted to thank you for saving Murakami High. That school's got a special significance for me. Anyway, see ya next time!_  
_—Red X _

"Dude," Beast Boy said slowly, "Any clue what this is about?" Robin silently shook his head.

_I haven't the faintest idea what this means_, he thought to himself, _But whatever it is, it can't be good. _

**To Be Continued...**


End file.
